Hannah & Paul's Easter Wedding at Bartholomew Barn

Hannah and Paul are lovers of the great outdoors - in fact, I first met them at a wedding fair at Wakehurst Place, a Sussex National Trust property they often visit, and the couple chose to have their pre-wedding shoot at Wakehurst too. So even though the skies were dull for their March wedding, with rain forecast throughout the day, I was pretty confident they wouldn't let it faze them, and would still be up for a walk in the beautiful grounds of their lovely wedding venue, Bartholomew Barn, umbrellas at the ready.

As it turned out, we managed the walk itself without the umbrellas, with Hannah scooping up her dress to reveal her fab wedding shoes and letting me play with her dramatic veil to great photographic effect! Not many brides wear veils nowadays, and even fewer opt for long ones, but if you're wondering whether to veil or not to veil, take a look at the couple images below and you might just decide it's for you! You can do all kinds of creative things with a veil, photographically speaking, even hiding the groom's face if you place him slightly downwind of the bride (sorry Paul)! Hannah wore hers beautifully and gamely kept it on for their couple photos, enabling me to add shape and texture to their images, and bouncing a little soft natural light back onto the couple as they kissed.

It did rain for the family photos however, so I positioned the groups just under the awning, enabling me to use Bartholomew Barn's picturesque courtyard as my backdrop while keeping everyone dry. And I was secretly pleased the rain continued after dark as I'd been waiting for the chance to get some romantic images of the bride and groom in backlit rain! Given the weather, and the fact that it was Easter, and rather cold, I didn't want to keep Hannah and Paul outdoors for too long, so I set up my lighting and found some willing models from Betty Booths (a pretty awesome campervan photobooth) and the DJ to nail my exposure beforehand. Thanks guys!

To start their story at the beginning, Hannah's (and my) day began with bridal preparations at Lythe Hill Hotel in Haselmere, Surrey, where the funky butterfly headboard made for a great backdrop for the shoes. I love finding creative ways to photograph shoes, but these were something special. And comfy (apparently). I must ask Hannah if she's dyed them a darker colour and worn them again as planned. I suspect not though, as Hannah and Paul have recently welcomed a new addition to their family - congratulations to you both on the birth of your son!

I hope you enjoy viewing the story of Hannah and Paul's Bartholomew Barn wedding through my images...